


Dynamics

by thewildwaffle



Category: Original Work
Genre: Character Dynamics, Writing Exercise, possible future stories, story seeds
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-20
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:48:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23230480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewildwaffle/pseuds/thewildwaffle
Summary: Shorts, snippets, and story-seeds of scenes between characters. Some of these I do plan on using in future (longer) stories, but for now, here they are as I explore characters and how they interact
Relationships: coworkers, found family - Relationship, hero/mentor, hero/villain - Relationship
Kudos: 1





	1. Hero and Villain

The hero struggled against the restraints of the trap they had so stupidly walked right into. What were they thinking? They should have expected something like this. They were just too focused on getting in and stopping the villain’s plans.

Speak of the devil…

The villain sauntered around the corner, stopping when they saw the captured hero. They were carrying a small bowl in one hand. There was a brief look of surprise that was almost immediately covered by their normal expression of suave condescension.

“Ah, [hero], I thought I’d find you here. I see you found my newest security project. Lovely, isn’t it?” They smugly popped something from the bowl into their mouths and began chewing. Suddenly, their eyes bulged and they started sucking in air while still trying to chew. They turned slightly to the side to hide their face. “Hot, hot, hot,” was all the hero could just barely make out them saying.

“You’re not going to get away with this, [villain]. I’ve got backup coming, and this trap won’t hold me long!”

Having recovered, the villain turned back around and took a few steps toward the hero. “Get away with what? You’re the one breaking and entering here serves you right for getting caught in… all that.” They motioned towards the mess the hero now found themselves in. They continued getting closer, eventually squatting down next to the hero’s head. They stared down at them for a moment, still chewing while they considered the hero. After a moment, they lowered the bowl down so the hero could see the contents. Tensing, the hero prepared for something dangerous, poisonous, disgusting, something that would spring at their face, or maybe something…

It was a bowl of potstickers.

Confused, the hero looked back up at the villain.

“You want one? They’re fresh, just made them myself!” The villain offered in a slightly sing-song voice.

The hero frowned and renewed their attempts at freeing themselves. “I’m sure they’re laced with some poison, right? How like you!”

The villain rolled their eyes. They picked up a potsticker and blew on it. “You saw me eat one when I came in.” They held the bowl out again as they ate the one in their other hand. “They’re still hot, so you’ll have to blow to cool it down.”

The hero just stared at them, utterly confused. “Why? What is this really about?”

“Look,” the villain swallowed, “I’m a criminal, not a jerk. It’s rude to eat in front of people and not offer to share. You want one or not?” Without really waiting for an answer, the villain pinched the edge of a potsticker and held it out in front of their face. “Don’t worry, I washed my hands. Just blow on it, it might still be hot.”

Still not completely convinced this wasn’t some part of the villain’s dastardly plan, the hero did as they were told. Yeah, they probably shouldn’t have, but they’d been doing rounds all day and hadn’t had anything to eat all day. And that potsticker did look good. So good.

And it was. It wasn’t like any potsticker the hero had ever eaten before, it had some sort of mushy, creamy content that they couldn’t identify, but as soon as they had swallowed, they wanted another. The food seemed to remind their body just how hungry they were.

“Good?” the villain smiled.

The hero’s tongue went through every nook and cranny in their mouth, hunting down any last morsel. Oh wow, they were really hungry. But, this all could still be part of the villain’s plan. What was really in that potsticker? A poison the villain was immune to? A tiny tracker device of some sort? What? They voiced their concerns aloud.

The villain tutted, feigning hurt shock. “I would never! I don’t know what you think is going on around here, but I was just making a late snack for myself, minding my own business. I’m not even plotting anything today.” 

The hero snorted.

“I am! I can take a ‘me day’ sometimes you know! Fighting off heroes and trying to overthrow society every day can be very taxing on anyone!” The villain stood back up and ate another potsticker, smiling down at the hero. “And if you really want to know, the filling is… it’s… uh… I forget the word. What’s it called. I made it from garbanzo beans? It’s… spiced garbanzo mush and celery?”

“Hummus?”

“Ah yeah, there it is. Yeah. Hummus.” They picked up another one out of the bowl. “You want another one?”

The hero’s mouth was open slightly as they stared up at the villain. The potsticker was pushed in through their lips when they didn’t respond. The hero jerked in surprise, but still hungry, they tried to not lose any bits of the food out of shock.

“Why hummus?” The hero asked after they swallowed. “I didn’t think you were a vegetarian.”

“Oh, I’m not.” The villain jerked the bowl up, sending the last potsticker into the air and catching it in their mouth. “I just haven’t gotten groceries in a while.” They set the now-empty bowl on a side table and flipped a few switches on a command panel. The trap the hero had been caught in receded and they were able to pick themselves up and stand. The villain turned back to them and just smiled.

“Well,” The villain sighed, “You said you had backup coming? I’d suggest you call them off. Like I said, nothing going on here today. I wouldn’t want to waste you do-gooder’s time when you could be, oh I don’t know, getting kittens out of trees or saving bus-loads of kids or whatever.”

The hero shook their head. “No. You’re up to something. We know you’ve been working on some new superweapon!”

“Hmmm…” the villain cocked their head to the side. “And do you have a warrant to search my lair?”

“Uh, no.”

“Ah, well. Then I’m afraid you can’t. As far as the law is concerned, I’ve got a clear record as of 4 days ago. I’m just trying to make my way as an honest, upstanding member of the populace. I suggest you get out of here before I call the police.”

“Upstanding member of… you’re nuts if you think anyone’s going to buy that! You trapped me with one of your evil inventions just now!”

“One, you weren’t hurt. Two, you broke in and got caught in my security system. It’s not illegal for me to have security.”

“You said it yourself, you’re a criminal.”

“Oh,” the villain mocked, “and are you going to take me in for that? You’ve got nothing on me.”

The hero stood awkwardly in the room, fuming. They were right. They couldn’t legally do anything at this point. Not without more evidence. Defeated, they sighed and felt their shoulders drop slightly. “Where’s your front door, I’ll leave.”

“Oh no,” the villain laughed. “You think I’ll give you an opportunity to see more of my lair? No, go out the way you came in. Shoo!” They waved the back of their hand at them like they were trying to get rid of some small puppy, “Shoo! Get out of here.”

Well, this was humiliating. The hero started back out the way they came in.

“And go get something to eat!” The villain called out after them. “I mean real food! So help me if I find out you stopped for some fast-food junk!”

They waited a few moments until the hero was gone and sighed. They picked their bowl back up and rolled their eyes. As they start walking out of the room, they hear a crash and a loud metallic snap from a few rooms down. “Heroes,” they muttered to themselves. “How am I ever going to get those laser drillers done on time when they keep popping in like this?”


	2. Mack and Azure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one is actually a story-seed, in that I do plan on writing another story once I finish Abduction that's based in a modern fantasy world with these two as the main characters. This is short, but I like it because I'm a sucker for tough-and-gruff characters getting stuck with a little ball-of-sunshine character and eventually they grow to be all, "Well, I guess I have no choice but to protect the precious bean at all costs."

“Kid, you can’t let what they said get to ya, alright? They’re just tired old codgers who wouldn’t know a stroke of good fortune if it bit ‘em in their backsides.”  
“Well maybe they’re right,” Azure spun around quickly. The pale blue dress she’d been so proud of this morning flared out. It seemed to mock her with the memories of optimistic dreams she’d started the day with. “Maybe I am just a joke! What do I know? Maybe I am just some dumb kid who doesn’t know what life’s about.” She sat down on the log next to Mack and wilted. “You were right from the start, Mack. Who was I kidding? How could I help anyone?”  
The fire crackled lowly, sending glowing flecks tumbling upward.  
“Kid, no.” Mack’s voice suddenly sounded lower, more tired. “I was wrong. It’s people like you who keep the world goin’. There’re enough folks like me, folks who have lost things, lost loved ones, folks who’ve had their hopes smashed so many times that they… they don’t know if they should bother putting ‘emselves back together.”  
He paused and Azure looked up. She’d never seen the old man seem to fight off so many emotions with his face at one time. The firelight cast shadows on Mack’s grizzled face seemed to make every crease, every scar look as deep as canyons. The wiry hairs of his beard were trembling ever so slightly.  
“The world needs more like you,” he finally got out. “Yeah, ya get on my nerves at times. S’pose that’s mostly just me not knowin’ how ta understand ya. That’s not yer fault either, by the way, it’s… I reckon… well, I’d reckon I’d be pretty lost long ago if it weren’t fer you.”  
He put a hand on Azure’s shoulder. Neither looked up from the fire but instead stared intently at the flames nearest the center of the logs. The quiet breath of the fire seemed to fill every space between the trees.  
After a while, a quiet sniffle escaped Azure and she quickly reached her hand up to stop the tears from forming in the corners of her eyes.  
Without a word, Mack moved his hand around her other shoulder as Azure turned and leaned in to rest her head on his side.


End file.
